Loading machine



'April 12, 1938. w. w. sLoANE 2,113,530

LOADING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 12, l9?-8 w. w. sLoANE LOADING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Paten-tea Apr. i2, 193s Y 2,113,6'3@

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,113,630 LOADING MACHINE William W. Sloane, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application July 2, 1936, Serial No. 88,525 Claims. (Cl. 198--8) This invention relates to improvements in view of the front portion of the gathering eleloading machines of the type adapted to gather ment, shown inA longitudinal section,` in order to and load material such as coal from the ground more clearly illustrate certain details of my inand more particularly to gathering 'heads includvention;

l 5 ing gathering chains having nights extending Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional therefromfor initially picking up the material view taken substantially along lines 5-5 of Figand loading it onto a flight conveyer for disure 1;

charge in a mine oar or the like, Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse More specifically, my present invention is an sectional view taken substantially along lines to improvement in the general form of gathering l- 0f Figure l; and 10 head described in a prior application, serial No. Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary trans- 50,861, led by Frank Cartlidge, November 21, verse sectional view taken substantially along 1935. lines 1-1 of Figure 4.

Among the objects of my present invention is In the drawings my invention is shown as being to provide a simpler and more enicient construcembodied in e loading machine of the track 15 tion of loading head especially arranged to take mounted type, the main elements of which are up a, minimum amount of vertical height end essentially the same as shown in a prior patent provide ample vertical clearance between the t0 Frenk Celtlldge, NO- 2,065,137- Tlle gathering under side of the night conveyer and the ground end loading element iS mounted at the forward without increasing the distance material must end 0f en inclined elevating COnVeYeI l0, which be moved to be discharged onto the flight oon- Y as usual is carried at the forward end of a mobile veyer. truck having suitable power operating and con- Anotner objeet of my invention is to provide en trolling devices, which need not be shown or deimproved` forno of power drive to the gathering scribed in detail herein as the present invention Chains independent of the flight conveyer Whion is directed particularly to the construction of the permits the use of e relatively large drive gathering and loading element and power drive 25 sprocket for driving the gathering chains and tl'Hereforpermits the flight conveyer to turn about a rela- The eleVetng COnVeYeI l0 includes a troughtively small direction changing device at its forlike COnVeYer frame SeCtiOIl Il and a forward Werd end and thus effects an arrangement gathering section I2 connected thereto in a suitwhereby the flight conveyer may extend closely able mennen WhCll gathering Section has an 30 adjacent to the ground in an inclined plane withapron I4 eXtenClnlg laterally elOng Opposite Sides out decreasing the vertical clearance between the 0f the COnVeYer end forwardly aCrOSS the forward under side of said conveyer and the ground, and end thereof tO the ground S0 that the fOlWaI'd thus permitting the gathering head to operate end 0f Said apron may engage the ground. 35 yefficiently where the bottom is uneven, The conveyer section II includes a plate l5 other objects of my invention will appear from extending therealong which forms a surface along time to time as the following specification prowhich material may be moved by transversely ceeds. extending flights I6, I6 carried between suitable 4o My invention may be more clearly understood parallel spaced endless chains Il, I1 at intervals 4o with reference to the accompanying drawings therealOrlg. wherein: The conveyer section Il also has a pair of up- Figure 1 is a side elevation, with certain parts right side plates, 24, 24 which define the main broken away and shown in section, of the front body 0f the c0nveyer trough and extend downportion of a loading machine, illustrating one wardly beneath the bottom plate I5 to provide a ,45 form in which my invention may be embodied; support means for the moving parts of the con- Figure 2 is a plan View of the front portion of veyer land for the drive means for the gathering the loading machine shown in Figure 1, with cermechanism in a manner which will hereinafter tain parts broken away and in section in order to more clearly appear as this specification proclearly illustrate certain details of my invention ceeds. Said side plates are alSO flared outwardly 50 not shown in Figure 1; at Opposite sides of said conveyer section to form Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional a trough-like frame along which material may *View taken through the drive end of one of the be moved, as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 6. gathering mechanisms; The endless chains I1, I1 are trained around Figure 4 is an enlarged partial fragmentary sprockets I8, I8 on atransverse shaft I9, disposed v55 at the rearward end of the conveyer section I i and forming a drive member for said endless chains (see Figures 2 and 5). From the sprockets I8, I8 said endless chains extend downwardly along the conveyer frame I i beneath the plate I5 to and around direction changing devices 2li, 26. Said direction changing devices are herein preferably shown as being rollers mounted on the inner` ends of stub shafts 2 I, 2| journaled in bearing housings 22, 22 in a suitable manner, which housings are secured to and extend outwardly from the side plates 24, 24 of the conveyer section II adjacent the forward end thereof (see Figure 7). The diameter of said rollers has been reduced to the minimum dimensions necessary to permit reversal in movement of said endless chains, to permit their disposal closely adjacent the forward end of the frame I I without decreasing vertical clearance between the forward end of said conveyer and the ground. From the direction changing members 20, 25, said endless chains extend upwardly along the upper surface of the plate I5 on wearing strips 23, 23 disposed along opposite sides of said plate as is best shown in Figures 1 and 6.

Immediately in front of the rollers 20, 25 is a curved plate 25 conforming to the form of the chains I'I, II as they round said rollers, and terminating at the delivery edge of the apron I4, which edge is herein shown as being forwardly of the stub shafts 2i, ZI and the forward end of the plate i5, in order to minimize the distance material must be moved along said apron.

An inclined bottom plate 29 extends upwardly from the forward end 0f the apron I4 beneath the endless chains I'I, II, and its forward end terminates at the forward end of said apron. Said plate together with the forward end of said apron serves as a shoe on which the forward end of the gathering and loading element may rest. Said plate also is so arranged as to be inclined upwardly with respect to the ground at an angle suicient to permit ample clearance between the ground, and afford an arrangement whereby the gathering head may readily be manipulated over an irregular mine bottom.

The means for gathering material and moving it onto the conveyer includes a pair of endless chains 3i), 59 movable along chain guides 3i, SI Said chain guides are mounted on the upper surface of the apron I4 and extend along opposite sides of the conveyer from a point disposed forwardly of the forward end thereof. Gathering flights or arms 33, 33 extend laterally from said endless chains at suitable intervals therealong. Each gathering arm ispivotally mounted on a link of its respective endless chain, for upward swinging movement, between projecting lugs 34, 34 on a pivotal pin 35. Said arms may thus be raised as they approach their turning point away from the conveyer to aid in clearing them from material on the conveyer and permit material to be taken away from them at a faster rate of speed than their speed of travel.

The means for releasing or clearing the material on the conveyer from the gathering arms as they approach their upward turning point will only herein be described briefly since it is clearlyrshown and described in the aforementioned application of Frank Cartlidge, and includes a lifting cam 36 which extends along the inside of each chain guiding member 3l from a point adjacent the forward end of the conveyer to and partially around the point where the gathering arms turn away from the conveyer.

Said lifting cam is adapted to engage a heel 31 of each gathering arm so as to raise each arm gradually to a maximum as it passes around its rearward turning point. A semi-frusto-conical supporting surface 38 is provided which has an inner edge substantially in line with the upper end of the cam 36, and extends inwardly around the rearward turning point of said arms to form a support for said arms after they leave said lifting cam. From thence, the outer margins of said engaging surface bend downwardly toward the apron I4 to permit said arms to rest on said apron.

Rollers 39, 39 are provided at the forward end of each chain guiding member 30 to positively guide the gathering arms in a plane parallel to the apron I4 and form direction changing devices about which the endless chains turn. Each roller is provided with spaced flanges 40 and 4I adapted to engage each gathering arm above and below the pivotal axis thereof to hold said gathering arms from upward or downward movement at their forward turning point.

The endless gathering chains 30, 3D are trained around drive sprockets 43, 43 at their upper turning point, each of which sprockets is keyed on a shaft Y44 disposed perpendicularly to the plane surface of said apron (see Figure 3). The upper end of said shaft is journaled in the chain guide member 3I on an anti-friction bearing 45 mounted in the chain guiding member 3 I while the lower portion of said shaft is journaled in an anti-friction bearing member 46 mounted in a housing and bearing support member 47 secured to the under side of the apron I4 and side 24 of the conveyer frame I I. A bevel gear 48 is keyed on the lower end of the shaft 44 and meshes with and is driven from a bevel pinion 49 keyed on a transversely disposed stub shaft 5I) journaled in the housing and bearing support member 41 in suitable anti-friction bearings. A sprocket 5I, the diameter of which is considerably greater than the diameter of the roller 2U, is keyed on the inner end of said shaft and meshes with and is driven from an endless drive chain 52 extending rearwardly along the side plate 24.

With reference now in particular to the novel form of drive connection to the endless drive chains 55, 55 and the gathering chains 30, 35, which includes the sprockets 5I, 5I, a sprocket 54 is keyed on the outer end of the transverse drive shaft I9 (see Figures l, 2 and 5). Said sprocket meshes with a drive chain 55 which extends forwardly along one side of the conveyer and meshes with and drives a sprocket 56 herein shown as being splined on the end of the transversely disposed shaft 59. Said shaft is journaled in the conveyer frame II on suitable anti-friction bearings mounted in housings and bearing support members 60 and 6I extending laterally from respective sides 24, 24 of the conveyer frame II, and secured thereto. Sprockets 62, 62 are mounted on said transverse shaft adjacent opposite sides of the conveyer frame I I for rotation with said shaft and mesh with the endless drive chains 52, 52 for driving said chains (see Figure 6).

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a simplified drive has been provided for the gathering chains which is independent of the conveyer, but is driven from the shaft which drives the conveyer, and which is so arranged as to relieve the conveyer of the burden of driving the driving chains and thus permit the use of a relatively small direction changing device at the forward end of the conveyer and permit the gathering .mits said conveyer to be disposed closely adjacent the forward end of the conveyer section ll without decreasing clearance between the bottom plate 29 and the ground.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the specinc embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loading machine, an elevating conveyer including an inclined frame, an apron extending along each side of said conveyer and across the forward end thereof and forwardly therefrom to the ground, gathering means movable along said apron and extending along each side of said conveyer and including a pair of spaced gathering chains having gathering nights projecting laterally therefrom, said conveyer including a pair of spaced endless chains having flights spaced therebetween, and extending from a drive shaft at the rearward end of said frame downwardly therealon-g to and around direction changing devices of a relatively small diameter at the forward end of said frame, and said drive to said gathering chains including a pair of parallel spaced endless chains extending parallel to said conveyer chains and driven from said drive shaft, said chains being trained around drive sprockets at the forward end of their path of travel which are of a larger diameter than the diameter of said direction changing devices and said sprockets extending above the lower run of said conveyer and being each mounted on an individual shaft journaled outside of the lateral limits of said conveyer.

2. In a loading machine, a frame having an endless flight conveyer movable therealong and trained around coaxial direction changing devices at the forward end thereof, an apron extending along each side of said conveyer, across the forward end thereof, and forwardly therefrom and having a forward end adapted to engage the ground, gathering means movable along said apron and extending along each side of said conveyer including a pair of spaced gathering chains having nights extending laterally therefrom, a shaft disposed at the rearward end of said frame for driving said night conveyer, and a drive connection from said shaft independent of said flight conveyer for driving said gathering chains including a shaft mounted in said frame parallel to said transverse shaft and spaced forwardly therefrom, a drive connection between said shafts, and drive connections from opposite ends of said second-mentioned shaft to said gathering chains including sprockets having geared drive connections with said gathering chains, the diameter of which sprockets is greater than the diameter of said direction changing devices.

3. In a loading machine, a frame having an endless night conveyer movable therealong and trained around coaxial direction changing devices at the forward end thereof, an apron extending along each side of said conveyer, across the forward end thereof, and forwardly therefrom'andr having a forward end adapted to engage the'ground, gathering means movable along said apron and extending along each side of said conveyer including a pair of spaced gathering chains having nights extending laterally therefrom, a shaft disposed at the rearward end of said frame for driving said night conveyer, and

a drive connection from said shaft independent of said night conveyer for driving said gather- `ing chains including a shaft mounted in saidl frame parallel to said transverse shaft and spaced forwardly therefrom, a drive connection between said shafts including a chain and sprocket drive, and drive connections from opposite ends of said second-mentioned shaft to said gathering chains including a chain and sprocket drive extending along each side of said frame having geared drive connections with said gathering chains, the diameter of the sprockets of said drives being greater than the diameter of said direction changing devices.

4. In a loading machine, an inclined frame having an endless night conveyer movable therealong, a direction changing member about which said conveyer turns at the forward end of said frame, an inclined apron extending along each side of said conveyer and forwardly therefrom and having a discharge edge at the forward end of said conveyer and being adapted to engage the ground at its forward end, gathering means movable along said apron and extending! along each side of said conveyer including a pair of spacedrendless chains having nights extending laterally therefrom, a shoe disposed beneath said apron and conveyer and extending rearwardly and upwardly from the forward end of said apron, and the direction changing member about which said conveyer turns being of the minimum diameter requisite to reverse the direction of movement of said conveyer chain along said frame to permit vertical clearance between said shoe and the ground, a drive connection for said night conveyer including a transverse shaft at the rearward end of said frame, and means for driving said gathering chains arranged to maintain the minimum dimensions of said direction changing member and distance material must be moved along said apron for discharge onto said conveyer including a drive connection from said shaft independent of said night conveyer including a pair of sprockets having geared drive connection to said gathering chains, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of said direction changing device.

5. In a loading machine, an inclined frame having an endless night conveyer movable therealong, a direction changing member about which said conveyer turns at the forward end of said frame, an inclined apron extending along each side of said conveyer and forwardly therefrom and having a discharge edge at the forward end of said conveyer and being adapted to engage the ground at its forward end, gathering means movable along said apron and extending along each side of said conveyer including a pair of spaced endless chains having nights extending laterally therefrom, a shoe disposed beneath said apron and conveyer and extending angularly upwardly and rearwardly from the forward end of said apron, and the direction changing member about which said conveyer turns being of the minimum diameter requisite to reverse the direction of movement of said conveyer chain along said frame to permit vertical clearance be- 10 shaft and spaced forwardly therefrom, a drive connection between said shafts, and drive connections from'opposite ends of said second-mentioned shaft to said gathering chains including forwardly disposed individual drive shafts journaled outside of the lateral limits of said conveyer and having sprockets of a greater diameter than said direction changing member mounted thereon, said sprockets extending above the bottom of said conveyer.

W'ILLIAM W. SLOANE. 

